‘Me time’ by the park

Sometime, you need a ride few kilometers away just to have a ‘me time’. One way to do that is to book a date at a massage parlour.

The drive to Ole Sereni Hotel through Mombasa Road on a weekday is enough to cause you distress, but despite some terrific traffic, I kept my hopes up for what awaited me at Duma Spa.

It’s been a minute since I did a massage, so I knew it would be a bittersweet experience. Duma is cheetah in Kiswahili; I guess they went for the name because the hotel has a breathtaking view of the Nairobi National Park.

I skipped the gym because, yes I know it’s refreshing, but I am not into fitness. I was just thinking of a deep tissue massage, hit the steam and sauna then have myself some sizeable burger for a complete treat.

I was 20 minutes late; you know how traffic builds up late in the afternoon. Joan Ole Serian was my masseuse for the day; she looks patient, relaxed and not in any way worked up for my lateness. She hands me my spa package comprising a robe, a pair of slip-ons, soap and some body lotion.

First, you a required to take a shower before heading on to the massage room. It feels peaceful, pin drop silence; if only they would play some Destiny’s Child song, Cater to You, in the background, I would be completely sold. But either way, they had me at a peaceful set up illuminated by some therapeutic lighting.

I was on schedule for a full body deep tissue massage, which is used to ‘treat’, among others, stiffness, chronic pain and muscle tightness. Joan would massage, apply pressure and use deep strokes.

It can be painful, but it sure does help a big deal. They also have a steam, which I prefer to the sauna. The difference is that, the former is wet and the latter is dry. Why I didn’t like the sauna was because it gets too hot in there, even a freezing cold mojito would not help.

After two hours of being pampered, I went on to get bodied up. I had a plate of burger served with some French fries at Ole Sereni’s Big Five Restaurant.

I got myself a seat at the balcony hoping to catch a glimpse of some wild animals in the park, but I was told the weather hasn’t been the best, so the animals keep off when it’s too muddy for them to walk through. So, if you feel like you need a full spa experience, you might want to head to Duma for a massage, and also enjoy a peaceful ‘me time’.